Choice, Forgiveness, and Car Metaphors
by CosmereLover
Summary: RWBY translated into prose, with some scenes that are not directly there and others that are not included. I gave Oscar a backstory and added more rules to how Oz's reincarnation works. Any other alterations are minor. Ships are another thing entirely...
1. Setting the Counter on Fire

Oscar Pine

I set down my pitchfork. It had been an abnormally stressful day, working in the farm my aunt owned. She had nicely let me stay with her after what had happened with my parents. The place was far too big for her to work on alone, even without livestock, so I helped out.

Today'd been strange, though, even before I woke up. First I'd had that half-dream, half-memory of my parents dying. Which was the beginning of the odd feeling; usually my nightmares were true to what actually happened on that day, meaning I never witnessed their deaths. I only listened, like a coward. As young as I'd been, there was surely nothing I could have done. I knew that. It was still cowardice.

Things weren't normal in that dream, either. Parents: check. Two Grimm: check. Me: check. But the orange eyes were new. One of the Grimm had them, shining like embers in the dim evening, and was fighting my father. I remembered my dad having an Aura - everyone had one of those. But last I saw, his wasn't green. Now it was, though, flaring a bright emerald whenever the orange-eyed Grimm scored a hit as Dad darted in and out of its reach. Nearby, my mother was trapped within the claws of another huge monster. Though there were no archers in sight, she had an arrow through her heart and she was - well, I had had to look away at that point.

Dreams generally have a blurry, anything-might-happen-and-it's-all-totally-normal quality. But this vision was different. I felt a mounting terror as I watched, an emotion that stayed with me after I woke up. The last image I'd taken in was unforgettable - my father, dropping at last, his green Aura flickering out. The leaf-green light coalesced above his fallen body, siphoning away, and it was only after I was preparing for the day that I realized the light had been drifting toward me.

I'd tried to banish the dream from my head since then, but I hadn't been very successful. Besides that, no matter what I did or how many times I glanced nervously over my shoulder, it felt like someone was there, watching me. Aunt Jade wasn't doing it; she was busy in the house whenever I checked. Overall it was a creepy sensation, although it didn't seem particularly malevolent. In fact, the mysterious gaze felt both worried and indecisive, like my new stalker was considering whether or not to make contact. My increasingly frayed nerves insisted that he or she was deciding if I should live or die, but I rebuffed that horror-movie notion.

Which brought me to now. I had to force myself to unclench my muscles. I told myself firmly that grabbing the pitchfork and using it as a weapon would not be necessary. There wasn't anybody else here.

 _ **That's not fully correct,**_ murmured my fear in the back of my mind.

Now, my life was a secluded one. My aunt homeschooled me. I hadn't met many other people even before my parents were no longer around.

But I was fairly certain that hearing voices in your emotions was not normal. Nor was it a good thing.

I was silent for an instant, concentrating. My hands found the edge of the sink we kept out here, and I turned, studying my eyes in the tarnished mirror hanging before me. Were my irises more yellow-green than yellow-brown?

"Hello?" I whispered, cursing myself for succumbing to my paranoia. The voice was my panic over imaginary stalkers. Just my subconscious asserting itself. Nothing else. I held my own stare in the reflection. Nothing happened, of course. I shook my head at my stupidity. What had I expected? For a person to step out of the shadows and explain themselves to me? I exhaled.

And the phantom speaker struck.

 _ **Hello! I am Professor Ozpin.**_

I let out a yell, pushing off the sink's rim in shock and tumbling to the ground. Those weren't words I had heard with my ears. That sentence had been spoken inside of my head. I lay on the straw mounded around the barn, my breath coming in panting gasps. I barely registered Aunt Jade calling for me to be careful - she thought my shout had been caused by me hurting myself with a farm tool or something. I was not inclined to correct her.

People who heard things that were not there were crazy, right? And I was hearing a voice in my mind. One that was not my own. One that had to be my imagination. Therefore, I must be crazy.

 _I'm insane._

 _ **I can assure you, Mr. Pine, that you are not.**_

I ignored it. Of course the voices a crazy person heard wouldn't just tell them that they were insane. The voices would claim to be real.

 _ **I am not a figment of your subconscious mind, Oscar. I have sapience behind me. Can't you feel it?**_ Professor O - no, the voice - sounded resigned, like he had been through all of this before. And there was something about those words. They flowed from an ocean of memories and thoughts. Something floated there, something old and wise and powerful. Something that was...someone?

I shrank away. _No. No._

 _ **Yes. I do regret that it had to be you. I've never reincarnated in somebody so young before.**_

"Re-reincarnated?" If I didn't talk directly to it, it would go away.

 _ **Our souls and Aura have combined. I am - or at least, last I checked I was - the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Before that, however, I was in another body, and before that another. I have shared many lives. This is not new to me.**_

Would my brain have bothered to create an explanation for my hallucination? Did other insane people have reasons as to why they heard or saw what they did?

 _ **You really aren't crazy, Oscar. I have a curse upon me and - well, I suppose I can tell you the whole story at a later date. For now, it would be best if we went to Haven. There are people that can help us there -**_

I cut him - it off. _I'm not going,_ I thought loudly in his - in the voice's general direction. _I won't follow around some part of my - my overworked brain, or whatever. Now leave me alone._ Being polite couldn't make the situation any worse, could it? _Please._

I waited. There was nothing from the corner of my mind that contained my delusions. He still lurked back there, watching me, but he seemed content to remain merely an observer.

I tentatively stood. He - _it_ did not interfere.

I headed for the main house. Aunt Jade would have dinner on the table by now.

That night, Ozpin tried again. I brushed him off and finally fell asleep.

The next day, he surfaced once more and bugged me. I announced that I didn't believe in his existence and ignored him yet again.

He talked to me all throughout the day, spouting nonsense about good and evil, about gods and magical artifacts and a woman called Salem. He tended to shy away from certain topics, but he'd go on and on about others. He spent a large chunk of time describing his allies, people that I could supposedly trust. Some were adults, friends of his. Others were students from Beacon.

I didn't actively spur him on, but neither did I interrupt. I listened to his tales and found my resolve slipping. I liked to think about the outside world; I liked to imagine that one day I would leave my aunt and do something interesting, if not something important. Just so long as it was something. I'd never even so much as heard of most of what Oz talked about, though. I knew a little about the Maidens, but not a thing about Relics. Could some independent part of me really be making this all up?

I went to bed feeling troubled, and in the back of my head, Oz was hopeful. Or - well, maybe it was just another portion of me feeling hopeful, but it didn't feel like me. I could sense him thinking, but when I drew nearer, he walled himself off somehow.

 _If you're just me, then why can't I hear what you're thinking?_ I asked him.

 _ **You just made my point for me,**_ he noted. _**And I need some privacy to consider how I can get you to accept me.**_

I wavered. _You're not here._ Even I could tell that my words were weak. But if I truly had a second resident in my head, then all he'd mentioned about Remnant being in danger was likely true. And as much as I longed for adventure, I'd never wanted the world to be in peril.

 _ **I have an idea,**_ said Oz suddenly.

I resolutely did _not_ ask him what it was.

 _ **I might not be strong enough for this,**_ Oz added. _**But one attempt can't hurt.**_

Ozpin let down his walls. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to fall asleep.

Then I was burning.

There was no agony. There wasn't any heat. Orange and red were not licking at my walls, and my mother's old rug was not blazing. I looked down at myself and didn't find any charring.

Yet I was still on fire. It lasted a good five seconds, and I was frozen in place - with fear or literal paralysis, I can't say - the entire time.

Then it was over.

Oz and I both gasped for breath at once. I was positive that there should have been smoke in the air, or scorch marks on my wooden headboard, or really anything to show that I had been aflame. None of that was there.

 _ **I'm not strong enough yet,**_ Oz conceded. His lack of oxygen and his sudden weakness appeared to be tied to the fire. The fire that hadn't existed, after all. Perhaps the two were related because my brain had made them both up. It'd gotten tired of talking to me under the guise of a stranger and was now attempting to convince me that I was dying or something.

 _I'm not, though. I'm fine. Nothing's wrong, I can push through this. It's only a bad thing if it causes me to not function normally and if I can't live my life with it. But I can just be me. I can ignore it forever._

 _ **You aren't very good at motivating yourself,**_ Oz muttered, but there was an undercurrent of worry. He was concerned that I would never help him.

 _I wasn't talking to you,_ I returned, and redoubled my efforts to go to sleep. Some time later, I managed to.

The next day, Oz behaved nothing like he had before. Absolute silence. I almost asked him why he was so quiet, but then I remembered that this was technically what I wanted and stopped myself. I could tell that he was still there, readying himself. But he was wordless, so I too said nothing.

Come afternoon, Oz was still closemouthed. I sat on my bed, reading a book about Beacon Academy. I told myself that there was no specific reason why I was reading it. I also told myself I wasn't lying.

"Oscar! Supper's almost ready!" No matter what we were eating, I would enjoy it. Jade was a fantastic cook. We used to take turns making meals, but I was never any good. This inability climaxed when I set the countertop on fire. The _stone_ countertop. While washing dishes.

I didn't make the food anymore.

"What're we having?" I yelled anyway, flipping a page.

"Doesn't matter! You're eating it!" Her tone was playful, as usual. I didn't know how she did it. After my parents died, and Uncle Nooram decided simple farm life was not for him - especially not with a young boy who wasn't any relation of his...well, my aunt might curse her ex-husband's name in the daylight, but I had once heard her crying in the dead of night. I never asked what caused it, or told her I knew. Sometimes you just needed to weep.

I knew all about sometimes.

I shook away those thoughts and called back to her, "I never agreed to these terms!"

She was quick with a comeback. "It's part of the Living Under My Roof Contract. Go read the fine print, then come wash up."

I shut the book, then slid off my bed and made for the door.

 _ **We have to leave.**_

Oh, so he was speaking now, was he? I paid him no attention and reached for the knob, despite Oz saying my name. Only when he repeated it did I halt.

"I've decided you aren't real, so you might as well just give up." I didn't mention the fact that that conclusion wasn't very solid.

 _ **I understand how you're feeling. I went through the same panic and confusion.**_

I wheeled around and headed back for my book, grabbing it and shelving it. I did the same to the other books I owned, having removed them earlier so I could read this one. "It's not real," I mumbled to myself, repeating the words frantically. By now, however, my muttering made no difference. It was real; it had to be. I was still going to fight it. Adventure would never be worth having a traveling companion inside my head, especially not when he made me burn and ordered me around nonstop. "It's _not_ real."

 _ **You are perfectly sane.**_

I stood, raising an eyebrow, gazing at my likeness in the window. My eyes were tinted green. "I'm talking to a voice in my head."

The aforementioned voice took on a sardonic cast. _**I didn't say you were normal. I said you were sane. There's quite a significant -**_

"SHUT UP!" I stormed towards the door, then about-faced and paced a few steps away. "You think this is funny? It's not."

 _ **We are in complete agreement on that matter, I promise you. Believe me, I wish this weren't the case. But as I've told you...**_ Oz started rattling off stuff about our souls again, and I tuned him out.

"I'm done listening to you." I glanced back at the window, this time looking out it at the road leading out. I'd been down that road, but never without the intention to return. I swiftly looked away again.

Oz thought, then asked, _**Have you ever been to Haven?**_

"I told you I'm not going, and I told you I'm done listening."

 _ **Do you think you could describe the headmaster's office?**_

"Nooo...Why would I know that? I've never seen -"

 _ **Try. Right now.**_

I let out an exasperated breath and said, "It's probably -"

And then I was somewhere else, in a room the color of fall leaves. There was a desk that I knew was mahogany, though I'd only ever seen the wood in pictures. In the corner, a small table and chairs awaited guests. I hadn't ever tasted tea before; Aunt Jade didn't like the stuff. But now there was a lemony flavor on my tongue, and I remembered holding a teapot and pouring from it, and I recalled giving a cup to Headmaster Lionheart.

I realized I was saying this out loud. I shut my mouth abruptly and put a hand to my head. I got the impression that Oz was watching me very carefully.

"Why did I say that? How did I know that? I saw - why did I _say_ that?" I stumbled over to my bed and collapsed there.

Ozpin spoke. _**Because I helped build that school, and the tea set was a gift to the man running it now.**_

He'd shared a memory of his with me. I trembled, putting my head in my hands. Oh, colors. It was real. Everything was true, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

 _ **Oscar. We have a grave responsibility to uphold.**_

"Stop talking to me!" This was too much for me to handle. Too much for anyone. I fell to my knees, overwhelmed. "I never agreed to any of this."

 _ **No, you didn't. And neither did, I, at first. But you do have an opportunity.**_ Curse his calmness. _**An opportunity for greatness, hopefully.**_

I opened my eyes.

 _ **Greatness in knowing that when the world needed saving, you were the one to reach out your hand.**_

 _Oh? And it'll be that easy, huh?_

 _ **It won't come without hardship. And...sacrifice.**_ Faces flashed in Oz's memory, but he banished them quickly. _**I know you don't want to spend the rest of your life working as a farmhand in Mistral.**_

 _Leave my life goals alone, Oz._

 _ **Oscar -**_

I knew that shouting wouldn't make a difference. There wasn't anything either of us could do about out current arrangement. But I needed some time to deal with this all, so I gave up and yelled all the same. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Oz withdrew, letting me gather myself. He was still there, but he quit talking, and I appreciated it.

Aunt Jade called out for me - it probably wasn't the first time - and I strode out, closing the door behind me with a quiet click.

"Oz?" I whispered into the night. I should have been asleep, but my thoughts were spiraling around and not bothering to give me my rest. So I'd gone outside to think. I loved the night. I enjoyed the cool, fresh air. I liked how you could see every star in the sky when there weren't clouds - and tonight there weren't. I wished my mind could have as little conflict as the night sky.

 _ **Yes?**_

I didn't feel like disturbing the calm. _Have you ever made weighty decisions?_

 _ **I...yes. As weighty as the world.**_

We sat there for a while.

 _Have those decisions ever ended up with someone dead?_ I finally asked him.

He let out a sigh. It was time-worn and filled with sorrow. He didn't say anything.

He didn't have to.

Words spilled from me, and somewhere along the way I was talking out loud. I told Oz of the day my parents had told me that I was going to have a baby sister. How we'd been so joyful that we didn't notice several Grimm coming close to the yard. How normally, my father would have scared them off, but how that day he had given his rifle to my mother's older sister to use, and so how on that day he was weaponless. I explained how I had turned and run for the cellar, as was our protocol to do. We had practiced doing that. I described the horror I had felt, realizing that my parents were not at my side. How I'd jumped in the cellar, then glanced out and seen a Grimm bearing down on me. How I, not yet ten, had barely managed to shut the heavy door. And how I had cowered there, terrified.

Listening.

When I was done, Oz filled in the silence. He spoke of walls and guilt, and how people hid their shame and sadness behind walls like the one he had used last night. Unlike that wall, however, the ones used to block out emotions were walls that kept even their creators out. Because nobody wanted to be trapped anywhere with those feelings. He spoke of the topic intimately.

 _Hey, Ozpin? I wish you weren't here, but I'm glad you are too, if that makes any sense._

 _ **It does.**_

Some time passed.

 _I'm going to regret this, aren't I?_

 _ **What? Staying up so late?**_

 _No - well, that too. But what I meant was saving the world._

 _ **You'll help, then?**_

I thought of walls, of doors, of youth, of helping. Of doing something. Of being in a position where that might actually be possible.

 _You're in my head, Oz. You tell me._

My mind was like the night sky.


	2. Ruby Likes Sleeping

Ruby Rose

Ren held out a hand.

I stopped, brushing a lock of red-black hair from my eyes. Next to me, Jaune Arc and Nora Valkyrie came to a standstill. They were friends of mine - good ones - but they weren't my teammates. I shoved that thought away, as it led to more about Yang and the others.

Lie Ren's hand went to his pistol sickles. My companions armed themselves, and I brought out Crescent Rose, my sniper scythe.

A man fell out of the sky like a bullet, landing easily before us and laughing like a maniac. He brandished blades on his wrists, and flung himself at me immediately after landing - but then Ren was there, clashing with the newcomer. My friends were more than competent warriors, but he knocked Ren away like it was nothing.

He came for me next, still cackling, and with a cry I flew into the fight. He sliced at me and disengaged, running at Jaune instead; the two sparred for an instant before our enemy looked behind Jaune and saw Nora dashing in, hammer raised high. He jumped onto it, then lithely flipped off and crashed straight through a nearby wall. The city streets we had been traveling on were abandoned, the structures surrounding us half-built, but there was enough for him to make a sizeable hole.

"We're not looking for a fight!" Jaune shouted after him.

"Who are you?" added Ren warily.

He came into view in the settling plaster dust, still giggling creepily. Leaping off, he landed neatly in front of our huddled group. Rising, he called, "Who I am matters not to you." He pointed at Ren, then moved to Nora. "Or you. Or - well, _you_ do interest me." This last bit was to Jaune, who looked startled. "No, I only matter to you." His hand swept grandly around to point at me.

"Me?" I ascertained.

He laughed so hard that for a second I suspected he might cough up a lung. Wow, thanks, brain, for that delightful image. _Kingdoms._ Bleh.

"You haven't the slightest clue, do you? How exciting this must be!"

I gripped my weapon tightly, balling my my other hand into a fist. "What do you want?"

He mimed shock, one hand to his chest. "Why, the rose has thorns! My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me!"

"Well, what if she doesn't WANT to go with you?" Nora, stepping protectively in front of me, looked mad at the very suggestion.

"Well. I'll take her." Yep, the creepiness factor was moving slowly upward.

Jaune positioned himself before Nora and I with his shield out. "We're not going to let you do that."

I didn't know whether to feel flattered that they were defending me, or offended that they thought I needed said defending.

The unnamed man grinned. "Good." In an eyeblink, he was behind Jaune, reaching for the kill.

Ren whipped around and fired at the attacker, but all his shots were deflected. Creepy Dude kicked Jaune away, sprinting for Nora, and I squinted into Crescent Rose's scope. I pulled the trigger, barely missing Creepy Dude and hitting Nora instead, launching her back into a wall.

"Well!" Creepy Dude chortled. "If _that_ isn't ironic…"

What is was was doubly ironic. I hadn't been aiming for him.

Behind him, Nora stood, crackling with electricity. Her semblance was working full force. She was on Creepy Dude in no time at all, swinging her hammer down into his face. Clouds of dirt exploded outward.

When the blast cleared, there the two of them were...Nora's hammer blocked by a scorpion tail, of all things.

"Surprise," Creepy Dude snickered. Then he ducked his tail and threw Nora away from him, jumping atop a roof.

"He's a Faunus," Ren announced, shock evident in his tone. Creepy Dude was part scorpion.

"What is this about? The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?" I was seriously done with this. Time for answers.

My would-be kidnapper stood there, tall and proud. "They are but plastic soldiers and toys! My heart and body belong only to our goddess."

I almost hissed. "Cinder."

He snorted. "Only in her wildest dreams!" Then he leapt swiftly off of the roof, combating me with such skill that I worried. He sent me flying and moved on to the others, fending off all three at once before kicking at me again. He ran ahead and got to where I'd have impacted before I did, planting such a hard blow that my Aura engaged.

Crescent Rose was several paces away from me. I pushed myself up, but his tail sliced down.

And in its way was a metal sword, a resigned smirk, and a quiet "Hey".

Creepy Dude backed away slightly. "Ha! As I live and breathe! Qrow Branwen. A true Huntsman has entered the fray."

I propped myself up with my weapon and met my uncle's perplexed sideways glance. "I don't know. This guy is weird."

"Look, pal. I'm not sure who you are," Uncle Qrow said, addressing Creepy Dude. "But you need to leave my niece alone."

"Why, friend, my name is Tyrian." _Finally. Is it really that difficult to state your own name?_ "And I'm afraid that's not possible. My assignment from Her Grace was to retrieve this young girl. So that is what I must do. One must not upset the queen."

"Salem." Qrow was in the loop, apparently.

"Who?" My questioning went unanswered.

"I think we've had enough talk for now, don't you?" I felt vaguely betrayed that Qrow seemed to side with Tyrian in that. There hadn't been nearly enough talking for my tastes.

"You took the words right out of my -" Tyrian was on my uncle before he could finish, and soon they were whirling in a maelstrom of blades and bullets, tails and movement. Ren and Nora tried to join the battle, but Tyrian blasted them both backwards and smashed into Qrow again, sharp edges screeching.

Qrow shot a harsh glare at me. "Don't come closer!"

"Fine!" I screamed back, then used Crescent Rose's recoil to toss myself onto a rooftop close by. I aimed, but couldn't get a good lock on Tyrian, as quick as he was moving and with Qrow inadvertently blocking my shots half the time.

They fought relentlessly, Qrow with the occasional quiet grunt, Tyrian with a whooping lunacy. The scorpion-tailed Faunus managed to disarm my uncle, sending his weapon soaring into the side of a building. They were at a halt; I went after Tyrian, but somehow he deflected every shot. My bullets were enough of a distraction, however, that Qrow was able to go right up to the madman and punch him in the face. Tyrian cried out, and Uncle Qrow decked him twice more in rapid succession. Tyrian didn't seem to know what to do about being attacked so blatantly, and my uncle was able to kick him right between the legs. Tyrian skidded backwards, then stayed there as Qrow grasped his weapon.

All at once Tyrian was there, but my uncle elongated his blade into a scythe, and they kept at it. Lunging on the roof of the house they were next to, they dueled masterfully, trading little victories and minor defeats back and forth. Tyrian edged Qrow to the tip of the roof, but my uncle wouldn't be caught so quickly and left Tyrian to crash through the ceiling. Qrow made to leap away, but that tail lashed out and yanked him down too. They fell together with the four of us as anxious audience members, hoping Tyrian would falter. I darted toward their building as the wall shattered and Qrow was thrown out, managing at the last second to stop his momentum with his sword. Tyrian blitzed forward, but I flashed in front of him, coming to the rescue of my uncle.

Tyrian was fiercely amused. "Do you WISH to be taken?"

"No. But I won't stand by and watch someone get hurt!"

The three of us came together in a deadly dance, until I was almost cut down and Qrow saved me. "Ruby! What did I say? Get back!"

"This is my fight too!" I yelled roughly. I wasn't a child anymore! I could do this!

"No, it's not that," Qrow snapped at me as I rounded him and his opponent. Tyrian left him and turned to me, forcing me away, until I was next to the ruins of a house. There was a creak behind me - a heavy beam of timber began to fall -

And Uncle Qrow was there, felling the massive log, letting it splinter around us. We shared a small smile.

I saw it as if in slow motion: his grin twisting into a grimace, Tyrian's tail slipping past, my friends with a myriad of emotions playing across their faces.

While his tail continued to move, I latched on and shot. The end of his tail was instantly severed. A loop of it fell to the cobbles, steaming, purple blood splattering the stones.

Tyrian screamed, a wrenching sound, then called me a very unflattering name. The five of us stared him down as he clambered to his feet, muttering under his breath. With a last, hateful glare, he sprinted away from our exhausted band.

None of us gave chase; we had worse issues to deal with. Qrow was collapsing to the ground. I ducked to help him, gasping out his name. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. He just grazed me." He panted for breath, but removed his hand from his wound to show me a bloody scratch. Troublesome, but not too bad. I relaxed.

We had triumphed, but it sure felt like a loss.

Nora ran up. "Who _was_ that guy?"

"How did you get here?" Ren and Jaune joined in, questioning loudly. "Why are people after Ruby?"

"Uncle Qrow?" I said quietly. "What's going on?"

He sat there, catching his breath. Finally he looked up at me.

"What's your favorite fairy tale?"

We were seated around a blazing fire, out in the forest. Qrow said it gave us more cover. No one bothered pointing out that it allowed potential enemies the same advantage.

He was just finishing his speech. "...so, we're on our way to Haven's headmaster. I'm hoping he has the answers." He got to his feet. "All right. I think it's time you kids got some sleep."

"Uncle Qrow?" I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"This is a lot to take in," I said, thinking of Salem's plans and Cinder's evil plots and our own desperate ploys. "And it all sounds crazy, but...I'm willing to do whatever I can to help. Because I _trust you_. So why couldn't you trust me? Why couldn't you travel with us instead of all this secrecy and -" My tongue stumbled, and I looked up at him pleadingly.

"Look. This has nothing to do with trust. I…" He sighed. "It's a long story, okay?"

Across the campfire, Nora spoke up. "Seriously? _Now_ you're tired of telling us stories?" She was right; he'd been passing on his legends for a good hour, at least.

Uncle Qrow caved. "Did you know that crows are a sign of bad luck?" Well, maybe caved. That was pretty cryptic. "An old superstition - but it's how I got my name." He knelt and poked at the flames with a stick. Sparks showered up. "Some people are born unlucky. My semblance isn't like most. It's not exactly something I...do. It's always there, whether I like it or not. I bring misfortune: I guess you could call me a bad luck charm. Comes in real handy when I'm fighting an enemy." He let out a short bark of a laugh, staring unhappily into the burning wood, then glanced up to meet my gaze. "But it makes it a little hard on friends...and family."

"Well, you are just a bundle of help, aren't you," Jaune said. His sentiment was technically true, but he didn't have to be so sarcastic about it - no matter how raw he was over Pyrrha. I shot him a look that he missed completely.

Qrow stood with a nod, then started to trot away. Ren called out after him. "Where are you going?"

"Taking a walk."

"There's nothing else you wanna tell us?"

Qrow eyed the trees like he might say something, then went with, "Not tonight." He continued to hobble off, alone and injured.

Behind him, the log he'd touched tumbled from the firepit, falling to the dirt.

Ren sat up the next morning with a sigh. "We should probably get moving."

"Yeah. Good idea." Jaune rose too.

"Nooooooooooooo," I mumbled. "Sleep. Sleep is good. I like sleep." I rolled over in my sleeping bag.

Qrow began hacking, and I roused myself reluctantly - then I didn't hear him stop, and I untangled myself, heading over.

He took his hand away from his wound. His palm, fingers, and shirt were stained heavily with tainted purple blood. Poison. I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Well," Qrow croaked. "That's unfortunate."

With that, he fell unconscious.


	3. Oz is Sarcastic

Oscar Pine

 _ **You need to...step back, or something,**_ Oz tried.

"Or something?" I attempted to let go, to stop controlling my own body and let Oz step in. He said it would be useful while fighting "and stuff".

 _ **Well, everyone describes it differently. Oh - it might be like moving into the passenger's seat? Try that.**_

 _Um, no. I am not a car._ We had been practicing for hours, and yet the only thing Oz could really tell me was that surrendering control of my body was -

 _ **It's hard,**_ Oz said yet again.

 _WHAT, REALLY? You think so, Oz? I would have NEVER DUSTING GUESSED._

Oz mentally frowned at me, and I rolled my eyes. Not-mentally. _Hey, this burning isn't exactly helping._

 _ **It's a side effect of the transferral. It shouldn't hurt.**_

 _It doesn't. Just feels so...fiery._

 _ **WHAT, REALLY? Fire feels -**_

I grinned as he joked. Spending time with me was corrupting him. He rarely used sarcasm, but when he did it was perfectly executed. I might pretend annoyance, but if I absolutely had to have an intruder in my head, then Ozpin wasn't so bad.

I heaved again, trying to force myself past an invisible wall. I sat on my bed, unmoving, giving immobility my best shot. I stared out over my room, eyeing my bag. I'd quit trying to pack after a little while. Putting this off meant nothing - I would have to do it eventually - but the farm was my home, and I wasn't as prepared to leave as I had imagined.

Oz blinked.

It was abrupt and tenuous and wavering, but he blinked using my eyes. He had broken through, somehow, and I was caught off guard. He cleared his throat.

"I can drive now," he said unnecessarily.

 _Not a car,_ I said automatically, only half-listening to him. My original nausea wasn't subsiding; another wave splashed into me like a faceful of water as he stood.

"Ah, yes," Oz said softly, kneeling and closing his eyes. "Forgot about that. It'll slip away in a minute. Perfectly normal; just a short bout of -"

 _If you say carsickness, I'll punch you,_ I promised him. He was right - I was recovering already.

"There are multiple reasons why you do not wish to do that," Oz informed me. Amusement came through clearer in his physical voice - some combination of his own and mine. Some of the words echoed strangely, and they sent shivers down my back.

 _Yeah, well. Even so, we did it!_ We had worked long and hard for this, and it was...was...actually a bit anticlimactic. No fireworks or explosions of power, really no fanfare at all. The burning had even stopped. Our triumph was somewhat disappointing, in retrospect.

 _ **If it helps, we glowed green and yellow all over when it happened. That will be just the eyes eventually, but you can still see them shining in a reflection.**_

 _Thanks. Glowing makes everything better,_ I joked, trying to get over my primal unease at being unable to move myself.

Oz rose and went for my bookshelf, rifling through it. He held up a volume on Haven Academy. "You'll want to pack this."

 _Okay. Can I have my body back to pack?_

There was a bubbly sensation as my answer. I supposed that was what the reverse of the burning felt like. It was much more pleasant. Catching myself before I tumbled to the ground, I chucked the book on my bed and began rooting through my clothes. Outside, light was dawning, but I didn't feel tired at all. Instead, I felt...energetic. Excited. Giddy.

I'd always felt discontented with my place in the world. Dreaming of travel and grand cities was a fun yet slightly unrealistic way of escaping my ordinary life. People said that you could do anything you wanted with your life, but then they'd forbid you from something on the grounds that you were too young, or too poor, or really anything. It was human nature to restrict. So I stayed put, and learned to like my life as it was.

This was disrupting that stability, in ways both good and bad. Mostly bad. But as I scribbled a short letter for my aunt - informing her, with sparse detail and leaving out any mention of Ozpin or magic, that I was going away for some time to "help a friend" - I still felt ready for what would come next. It felt right. Crazy, yeah. Scary, yes. But right.

I shouldered my bag with ease and strode outside. As I walked, I shot a look back at the main house, recalling something my parents used to talk about.

My mother would speak of the future. "Never linger in what might have been, Oscar," she'd whisper. "Strive to be the best you can."

My father would contradict her. "Keep your gaze toward the future, but never be scared to watch the past. If you're constantly facing something new, looking for more, then you'll never feel happy with what you already have." Then he would grin at Mom, and that was usually when they got all sappy and I left them alone. Sometimes, though, my mother would continue on.

"Yes," she would say, "but both past and future pale when you consider now. Face life as it comes, learning from what has been and ready for what has yet to be. Then you can find ultimate joy with things - and people - of great importance." The times she said that, we all got sappy together, hugging and stuff. I smiled, remembering.

 _Never linger in what might have been._

I looked away from the house.

 _Never be scared to watch the past._

I strolled forward, eyes on the path, going where it took me.

 _Face life as it comes._

I was ready for the future, unafraid of the past, taking each step of my journey as it arrived. I was facing life. And life was finally right.

For about five minutes, at least. Then it started raining.

Technically, rain was helpful. It grew crops, and in my profession that was a good thing. All the same...Why did rain have to exist?

 _ **You're very vehement about this,**_ Oz noted.

"Rain is not my thing," I agreed, trying to stay under the trees. There was a train station maybe fifteen minutes away. Once there, it wouldn't be too hard to buy a ticket.

 _ **Oscar, there's something we should discuss.**_

 _Yes, there are several things that fall into that category,_ I said cautiously. Oz seemed to be waiting for me, so I went on. _This thing where you can take over - we need rules. Like ask me first._

 _ **Of course.**_ There was a hesitance to his answer. He sensed me noticing that and elaborated. _**What if you're in danger but you don't realize it, and I have to intervene?**_

 _Well, then, yeah, go ahead,_ I replied, relaxing. _You probably notice tons of stuff I don't._

 _ **And vice versa. It's why having two souls in one is so useful.**_ He paused. _**There was something else you wanted to talk about.**_ It wasn't a question.

 _Yeah, the whole...merging of souls thing. When does that happen? At death, or…_

He was slow in responding. _**Before, usually. It takes some time.**_

 _Does that soul die, after being combined, or -_ I took the next step, changing it from theoreticals to fact. _Will I die, or still be there but be unable to speak to you or do anything -_ It was one of my worst nightmares.

Oz winced. _**Well, I stay mostly me, only I'm suddenly the only one there. I just wake up that way one morning. Before it happens, the other soul starts slipping - forgetting certain things, becoming disoriented. And then they're gone. If they do stick around, then I haven't noticed them. I've always assumed that they simply passed on.**_

"To the afterlife?"

 _ **If there is one. Wherever people go when their lives end.**_

I blinked. With all his talk of gods, I'd thought Oz was devout to one faith or another. _You don't think there's an afterlife?_

 _ **I've always hoped. Seems appropriate. I've never been, though.**_

 _Does that mean you go somewhere else when you die?_ I asked, wondering if that was too personal a question.

 _ **It isn't, and I don't go anywhere. One moment I'm dying and the next I'm in a new body, reorienting myself. Sometimes my new host will be sleeping, and my last memories will seep through. That occured with you.**_

"Oh, yeah!" I'd forgotten about that. _So that was Cinder Fall, fighting you?_

 _ **It was.**_ A tentative wall formed around him, spears of light shimmering inside of it, but he banished the barrier and apologized. _**It's habit to avoid the time right around my deaths. They can be painful.**_

Oops. I shouldn't have brought it up. _Um. So. Haven. You said that there are trustworthy people there?_

 _ **Talking about it is fine, Oscar. But yes, there should be at least Headmaster Lionheart. Possibly some of the others as well.**_

 _And once we tell them who you are...wait, they do know about your whole reincarnation thing, right?_ I trudged past a tight clump of trees, dodging a falling pinecone. I made sure my efforts to stay dry didn't carry me too far into the woods, however - there might be Grimm.

 _ **Yes, though this has never happened while I've known them.**_

"What if they don't believe me?"

Oz regarded me flatly for a second, then said through me, "Then _I'll_ tell them."

 _Oh. Right. Yes. Forgot about that._

Bubbles cascaded through me, and I realized that I hadn't felt dizzy that time around. I voiced this discovery. "I won't feel that again, right?"

 _ **You shouldn't,**_ confirmed Oz. _**That was just because you were unused to giving yourself up so fully. It's why we practiced; that stage is over. I remember feeling the same sensation my first time reincarnating. The burning and bubbles will stay, though. And the glowing.**_

 _Yay. Thank the kingdoms for glowing._ I saw the train station at a distance, and hurried for its roof.

Reaching the platform, I moved over to the ticket machine and fished out a Lien. After scanning it, I was rewarded with the red error message, which beeped at me, announcing that my funds were insufficient. Grimm dung. I'd thought I had enough.

"Stupid thing," I muttered. "I'm assuming whatever weird magic this is doesn't come with an infinite supply of money?"

 _ **I'm afraid you'll have to solve this one on your own,**_ Oz admitted.

I let out a breath. Now what?

 _ **Be on your guard,**_ he warned.

"What d'ya mean?" I began.

"Here." Heavy footsteps sounded, and I glanced over at an approaching man. He hadn't been there just a moment before, had he? I shivered. There was something about him…

He raised a fist, and I quailed. But the man only thumped the ticket machine. It whirred, spitting out one of its little slips.

The man continued to the edge of the platform. "Don't let such a small obstacle block your path."

I knelt, grabbing the ticket. He stepped out into the deluge and walked away.

"That man. I felt…" I started when he was far enough away. I considered, then decided not to go on out loud. "Who is he?" I asked instead.

 _ **Someone from my past. Someone who should not be taken lightly.**_

The train came then, and I boarded. When I looked back for the mysterious figure, he was gone.

Ruby Rose

What happened next was fragmented and blurry. I remembered making a stretcher for Uncle Qrow. I remembered finding a signpost, out in the middle of seemingly nowhere, and splitting up. I knew that feasibly, walking had been done in between that time. But I was having issues thinking about it.

I felt so sick. What if Qrow didn't make it? Jaune and I were on our own now - Nora and Ren were gone. They seemed to think looking for supplies in the small town called Kuroyuri was futile. But there was no way we could have scaled a mountain with my injured uncle in tow. So off we went to an abandoned city that Ren and Nora avoided like Grimm.

We were practically dead already.

 _Nope. Time to stop thinking those thoughts, Ruby. It's all going to be fine._ It wasn't like Jaune and I were incapable of defending ourselves, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be harder without the other two. Especially with my uncle as deadweight.

Bad choice of words. Determinedly, I hefted his stretcher higher.

I could see why our companions hadn't wanted to come here. There was a cloud of foreboding that hung over the destruction, permeating the entire area. The land before us seemed as desolate as our chances. I sighed lightly, gazing upon the type of ruin that only Grimm could cause.

On the other side of the makeshift stretcher, Jaune looked spooked. "Come on," I said to him, hoping to uproot any despairing thoughts that might be in his mind. With any luck, the words would do more for him than they had done for me.

Luck. I eyed Qrow as we started forward, then turned back toward Kuroyuri.

We strolled for a while, casting our focuses from one side to the other, searching for useful items. After a while, I asked Jaune about it. "Any of these look like a pharmacy to you?"

"It's honestly hard to tell."

I stepped uncertainly over a bit of detritus. "Ren really didn't want to come here, did he." That was one of the few things that stood out sharply in my otherwise hazy recollection.

"Didn't seem so." His armor clanked as he walked.

"Do you know...why?"

He exhaled. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

We hunted around for another handful of minutes, dropping Qrow at the base of an old tree. Once done scanning nearby, the two of us reunited near my uncle; he was breathing heavily, each inhale labored, but at least he didn't look any worse off.

I heard the faintest cry of a Grimm, and Jaune swiveled around, hand on hilt.

"It's far off," I informed him tiredly.

"I know. But Ren and Nora are still out there." He sounded even more anguished than me - and with what had become of us, I didn't really blame him.

I was the one with the silver eyes. Why did the others have to get hurt as well? Pyrrha's decision had been her own, but what was happening to the rest of JNPR now was all my fault. I voiced this, apologizing. And Jaune did something unexpected.

He disagreed. "You didn't drag us in. We _wanted_ to come."

"But - you didn't know about -"

"Ruby. We lost -" He choked up a bit. "We lost Pyrrha. You lost her too...and Penny, and your team, and in a way, your sister."

This pronouncement caused me to bow my head. Yang was...well, Yang. Fast, and loyal, and though I'd never admit it, witty with her puns. The best older sister I could ever have asked for. One of the best _people_ I could have asked for. When she lost her arm, it was like the rest of us lost her.

"But you're still here. Despite everything you've lost, and everything you could still lose, you chose to come out here. Because you felt like you could make a difference."

I peeked at him. Jaune grinned encouragingly. "You didn't drag us along," he repeated steadily. "You gave us the courage to follow you." He set a hand on my shoulder.

He didn't hold me responsible for all of this. If he was right in speaking for Nora and Ren - and he knew them pretty well - then none of them did. Jaune's hand fell, and with it went worries I hadn't even known I had. I relaxed.

And of course, that was when everything went to the moon.

 **A/N:** Wow, I'm burning through my written chapters quickly. More will come. Any/all suggestions and/or feedback is welcome!


	4. Oscar Makes a Pun

Oscar Pine

"We have arrived at Mistral City. I repeat, we have arrived at Mistral."

I glanced up. _We're here._

 _ **Yes. Are you ready?**_

I allowed myself to laugh, short and nervous, then stepped out of the train into Mistral.

It was big, overwhelming, scary...and amazing. My senses couldn't take it all in, and even within memories were inspired. Ozpin had been here many times, and knew his way around.

 _ **Haven Academy is this way,**_ he insisted. _**And through here is a shortcut.**_

"You're sure that's a shortcut?" I eyed the alleyway. _It looks like a shortcut to being robbed._

 _ **Trust me,**_ he urged.

Once we were in, it widened, producing buildings. I was still leery of the place, but Oz was positive we were going the right way. One could almost say he was pOzitive.

Oz stopped short, and his mental avatar was like a rope, catching me and stilling my steps. _**Did you actually just make that pun?**_

 _...Um._

He snorted. I fell into step again. "So," I said, speaking softly. "When we get there, what's the plan?"

 _ **I told you -**_

"I meant the immediate plan. Not what we discussed on the train."

 _ **Well, first -**_ He saw something, and was polite enough not to take over and look back himself. He waited impatiently while I searched for what has sparked his interest. _**There!**_

He had seen a person through a bar window. Black-haired, his head hung wearily. Thanks to Oz, I recognized him.

"That's Qrow - Qrow Branwen, right?" I knew it was before he said anything, pulling the information from his consciousness instinctively. Our minds were so close. I stifled a shiver.

 _ **You're going to go in, right?**_

 _No, Oz. I was going to run full speed in the other direction._ I hoped in vain that Oz wouldn't realize that a tiny part of me had considered doing just that, a part of me that had existed ever since I'd accepted all this as real. Nevertheless, I walked in. Qrow's table was the one across from the door.

 _ **He has my cane,**_ said Oz suddenly. His tone grew fond. He really liked his weapon - but then, Hunters and Huntresses could be weirdly fanatical about their weapons. _**Ask for it back.**_

 _Shouldn't we introduce ourselves first?_

 _ **It's a code. If I find him, but we aren't in a place where it would be strictly wise to reveal who I am, I'm supposed to ask for it back.**_

I wouldn't trust our current surroundings either. _Okay. Smart. Sounds good._

Qrow stiffened at my footsteps - once a Huntsman, always a Huntsman, I guessed - and turned when I said, "Excuse me?"

"You know, I don't think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak."

 _Do I really look that young?_

 _ **Oscar, you ARE that young.**_

 _Compared to you, maybe._ I met the man's gaze. He was obviously still sober, and I knew he was a good fighter. I felt a spike of worry.

 _ **Tell him. He'll believe us.**_

"Shut up, I'm getting there," I muttered. Whoops. I'd said that out loud. I glanced up, embarrassed, but luckily any other patrons were far from where Qrow had seated himself.

Qrow stared at me, intrigued. Maybe all I needed to do was whisper like a crazy person...yeah, no. I resigned myself to it and spoke. "Um." I shifted uncomfortably. _Great start, that._ I looked down. "I'm supposed to tell you…" Get it all over with. "I'd like my cane back?"

 _ **Why did that sound so much like a question?**_

 _This guy is intimidating._ Slightly less so, though, as he nodded to himself.

Qrow stood, holding out a metal handle - the cane. "It's good to see you again, Oz."

He tossed the handle at me and I caught it, startled. My grip accidentally depressed the mechanism, and the cane itself appeared. I laid my hand on it.

"Let's go elsewhere to talk."

Qrow's 'elsewhere' turned out to be a different bar, even less crowded than the first. Didn't you always hear about bars being packed with rowdy customers or something? Not these.

Once we claimed a booth, Qrow asked me a few questions. Stuff like who are you, where are you from, when did you first become acquainted with the spirit in your body, and more along the same lines. He was nice, but I got the feeling that he was impatient to talk directly to Ozpin. He ordered, and once the drinks arrived - water for me, something I couldn't identify that seemed highly alcoholic for him - he got to the point.

"Kid." He knew my name, but didn't use it. I couldn't tell if it was a term of endearment or if he just couldn't be bothered. He leaned forward over his beverage. "Can you bring out Oz yet?"

Nervously, I tapped on the glass of my water. "Yeah."

"Could I speak with him?"

 _Is it safe?_ We were in a shadowy corner with no one nearby; the other individuals here seemed to like their privacy. Still, I was anxious.

 _ **The flashing should have toned down by now.**_ His internal voice was neutral, but I knew he preferred being out. If I was in his position, I would feel the same way. Well, technically I was.

And I did.

 _Yeah. Go on._ I just needed to get used to sharing my life. Until then, I'd cope.

 _ **Oscar, if you want to talk -**_

 _Later._

He burned through, and happily there was no commotion, no people running over to demand an explanation for our glowing.

 _ **Why would anyone do that? It looks just like Aura. It pretty much is Aura.**_

I brushed off his worried attention. _I don't know. I'm just tense. It's fine._

He blinked a single time, then looked up at Qrow, who gave a nod of respect. "Oz."

"Qrow." He nodded back. "Quite a mess we've landed in."

Qrow snorted. "Bit more than a mess."

"We...haven't been able to get much news about recent events," Oz said quietly. "Beacon Tower…"

"Has fallen," Qrow stated flatly. "Cinder has all of the Fall Maiden's power. Pyrrha is dead, Ironwood took off for Atlas and won't return our calls, and Grimm attacks have increased. The Grimm scare the people, and the cycle continues." He looked as though he was about to say more, but stopped.

Ozpin went silent for a minute, bowing his head.

"Like I said," Qrow repeated. "Bit more than a mess."

"Glynda?" Oz whispered.

"Alive. Trying to fix the Tower last I heard, but she'll have a tough time of it. If she manages at all. There's a giant Grimm dragon paralyzed up there, spawning more Grimm."

" _What_? How?"

"How do you think? Ruby's eyes activated after she saw Cinder Fall...well." I listened, interested. I knew of Qrow's niece, who had silver eyes - a genetic trait giving her great power. However, Oz hadn't specified what exactly that power _was_.

"But Cinder got away?"

"As far as we can tell, Ruby teleported her somewhere. Salem won't be happy."

Oz sipped the water with a sigh. "I assume she's in Patch, then, recovering?"

"Er, well, no, actually. She was there, but she...left. Ahem." Qrow looked embarrassed. "She heard that we thought Salem's minions might be in Haven and walked right out. She took the remainder of JNPR and off they went."

"The rest of the team?"

"Nobody knows where the Faunus girl went, Winter's sister was taken away by that _man_ , and Yang - " His voice actually broke for an instant. "Lost her arm. At the Fall of Beacon."

 _ **They're calling it the Fall of Beacon now?**_ He wasn't exactly reeling; he'd expected something equal to this or worse. Still, this wasn't just something you could take in stride.

"Do you know where the kids are? Have you made contact with Leo yet?" Oz pushed aside the bad news and fixated on the good. Qrow was alive. This could be recuperated from.

"Yes and yes." Qrow beamed and finished his drink, the sorrow leaving his tone. "I met up with them after they were attacked by one of Salem's. We all talked with Leo together. I filled them in." He waved the waitress over and paid for a refill.

"About everything?" Oz said warily, taking another sip.

A shrug. "Not about you. There'll be some...explaining when you...get back…" Qrow gave a drowsy blink.

 _Is he drunk ALREADY?_ I asked incredulously.

 _ **He probably drank something before we found him,**_ Oz commented absently. He was going over the plan again.

We sat there for an hour or so, contemplating. I felt a bit abandoned. Sensing the fizziness, I stretched as inconspicuously as possible so as not to disturb my companions, both of whom seemed lost in thought. Qrow was on his fourth cup.

It was when he started giggling that I decided to intervene. "Qrow?" Mr. Branwen sounded too formal. "Erm...are you okay?"

"Go, Zwei. You get that Beowolf good...FIVE POINTS!" he muttered, and Oz refocused.

 _ **He's drunk.**_

I eyed the pro Huntsman as he laughed. _Yeah, I got that. What do we do?_

In my head, he shrugged helplessly.

"Qrow, we've gotta go. Can you...tell us where you're staying?" To my surprise, he actually supplied his address before returning to his drunken commentary.

 _So...I guess we get going?_

 _ **Sounds about right, yes. I know where the hotel he mentioned is.**_

After an eternity, we managed to drag Qrow all the way to his temporary residence. While he wandered around nearby, I stood before the door, urging myself to knock.

 _ **They'll accept you,**_ Oz promised. _**Qrow will vouch for us.**_

I glanced to the side, looking at the other man. He was trying to pry up a paving stone.

 _ **Once he's sober.**_

I smiled at that, but my grin quickly faded. _Might be a while._

 _ **Qrow sobers up faster than most.**_

Feeling a little braver, I returned my gaze to the door and raised my arm. I faltered, then finally rapped firmly thrice on the barrier.

I waited anxiously, hearing footsteps on the other side, until it opened to reveal an ordinary living room. On a couch inside sat Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, just as Oz's memories had portrayed them. Jaune Arc stood with his hand still on the knob; he stared at me inquisitively. I studied my hands rather than him.

"Can I help you?" Jaune's words were polite, but also wary.

"Um, yeah." I peeked up at him through my hair. "Is there a...Ruby Rose here?" The rest were all accounted for, but she was nowhere to be seen. And Qrow was _her_ uncle, after all.

The pair seated on the sofa behind Jaune rose menacingly in unison. "Why?" Nora demanded harshly.

 _What did I do?_ I asked frantically.

 _ **These kids have been through a lot,**_ Oz told me. I couldn't tell if he was soothing me or trying to caution me away. _**A new face is likely frightening to them. And asking after someone Salem most assuredly wants dead…**_

 _Okay, yeah. Right._ I began to explain, my eyes flickering to the side to check on Qrow - who was running straight toward me. I cut off as he took me by the shoulders to support himself.

"I found him!" Qrow laughed raucously, tapping me on the nose and stumbling into the room, where he collapsed on a couch and snickered to himself. "I found him," he repeated, only slightly calmer this time.

I pointed halfheartedly at him. "I think her uncle could use some help," I said, somewhat unnecessarily.

"What is going ON out there?" a voice shouted unexpectedly.

Ruby Rose stormed into the room.

She was just like Ozpin remembered her, but somehow different to me. She walked with a fighter's fluid grace, and the crimson highlights in her hair caught the lights at odd moments. Her annoyance shone in her eyes.

And those eyes...they were silver. Such a pure, beautiful color. They sparkled without being metallic. They brimmed with mystery while still showing some open innocence. They were almost gray, but glittered just enough to not be dull. I had known to expect the color, but not _this._

She threw her arms out. "Can't a girl read her comics in peace?" She saw Qrow then, and covered her face with her hand. "Qrow," she said as she peeked out, "did you get drunk again?"

Qrow waved a lazy hand. "Maybe…"

I was still lost in those eyes, recalling the day Oz had met Ruby. Offering her a plate of cookies, he had said to her, without any further explanation, "You have silver eyes." I found myself mouthing the statement, then saying it out loud. I took a step forward, then stopped, embarrassed.

Ruby glanced at her friends for help, but they had none. "Who...are you?"

To the side, Qrow laughed, and my awkwardness mounted. I clasped my hands behind my back so that the five before me - well, the four, as Qrow didn't seem very aware - wouldn't see me fidgeting.

"Ah - well. My name is Oscar Pine." I stared at the wood edging on the wall.

"Wait for it…" _Thanks, Qrow._

I forced myself to look at them. "But you probably know me as Professor Ozpin." Oz tensed, waiting.

Jaune sucked in a sharp breath, and Ruby gasped a little. Qrow, meanwhile, distracted everyone an instant later by shooting upright. "I did it!" he exclaimed, then toppled off the furniture, sound asleep.


End file.
